24. Olfaction

What is Being Tested?

Impairment can be due to nasal obstruction, damage to the olfactory nerves in the nasal mucosa, damage to the nerves as they cross the cribriform plate, or intracranial lesions affecting the olfactory bulbs (see Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases 3e, Figure 2.11C). Loss of smell is also an early sign of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.